By Jonathan BakerContributor: Hailey Lipiec, Social Media Manager at EGC Have you ever used Video Action Campaigns from Google? Great, aren’t they? Google’s capability to deploy a wide range of ads to relevant target audiences is a dream come true for marketers. Brace yourself: Video Action Campaigns are being phased out. Their replacement? Demand Gen. Going from Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen The word “replacement” above is too harsh. Google regards the upcoming change to Demand Gen as an “alternative” or “upgrade” to Video Action Campaigns. This upgrade will be completely finalized in the second quarter (April-June) of 2025. Anyone who currently has Video Action Campaigns operating online need not be concerned. They will automatically convert to Demand Gen. As for Google’s decision to make this change… Meeting future demands via Demand Gen Similar to Video Action Campaigns, Demand Gen provides a strong call to action (CTA) to attract and engage potential customers. What’s the difference? Demand Gen will implement artificial intelligence (AI) as ads are created and curated. Google intends this AI-powered ad format to offer greater reach, quicker access to curated ad creative, and sharper audience targeting. (Where “greater reach” is concerned, Demand Gen has the capability to reach up to three billion monthly active users.) Let’s find out how… Easier + faster customer reach = success The move to Demand Gen aims to satisfy everyone—marketers, brands, customers, and (of course) Google. If you thought the video ad content you were employing was already effective for reaching your target audiences, Demand Gen intensifies that reach, and this is where AI comes into play. The workings of AI-powered Demand Gen The application of AI to Demand Gen vaults audience targeting and acquisition into a new plane: Demand Gen provides several AI-powered audience solutions that will reach even more relevant customers. Additionally, the upgraded technology enables you to combine the knowledge about your existing customers with Google AI. Using your existing customer base and their purchase habits, Demand Gen creates lookalike audiences that may theoretically take an interest in what your brand has to offer. Through this model, the process to find and target actual audience members is quicker and more efficient. The result? Maximized return on investment (ROI). Another benefit? Google is making the change to Demand Gen as easy as possible. Seamless transition Remember the wonky, inconvenient migration from Universal Analytics (UA) system to Google Analytics 4 (GA4)? Google is putting in extra effort to make the upgrade to Demand Gen as easy as possible. This upgrade will be available for purchase through Google Display and Video 360 in October. Google also promises to offer a “copy-and-paste” tool to convert Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen format. Many users (read: marketers) may be more than willing to adapt… Genuine interest in Generative AI There won’t be much trouble persuading marketers to switch to Demand Gen, if statistics provided by e-Marketer are any indication. As of this past May, 63 percent of marketers throughout the world are applying Generative AI to their campaigns, with 35 percent preparing to do so in the future. Google’s plan to upgrade Video Action Campaigns to Demand Gen is therefore in sync with a growing willingness to adapt to new, cutting-edge media formats. Image Credit: e-Marketer Easier + faster customer reach = success The move to Demand Gen aims to satisfy everyone—marketers, brands, customers, and (of course) Google. Are you ready to make the video marketing strategy for your brand stronger? Connect with EGC. Our services include planning and production for everything connected to video. We will make your brand visible, viable, and memorable via our video services.
